Overview

About the Group

This project is a task within a larger project funded by Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) under a contract to the University of Nevada to study the seismic resilience of highway systems. It is the objective of this Project to conduct a comprehensive study of the seismic response of horizontally-curved highway bridges. The ultimate aim is to develop a set of seismic design guidelines for this type of bridge. A secondary aim is to develop a set fragility functions for curved bridges for use in resilience studies of highway systems. The scope therefore includes numerical analyses, parameter studies, and large-scale, shake table experiments on a highly curved bridge to investigate load path in the superstructure, column behavior, abutment interaction (pounding), and the effectiveness of response modification devices, self-centering substructures, and rocking columns. Design guidelines and fragility functions will be developed. Whereas the numerical studies will be conducted for a wide range of curved geometries and structure types, the experimental studies will be on a large-scale model of a highly curved, continuous bridge, with a steel superstructure supported on concrete piers and seat-type abutments.

Project Details

This project is a task within a larger project funded by Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) under a contract to the University of Nevada to study the seismic resilience of highway systems. It is the objective of this Project to conduct a comprehensive study of the seismic response of horizontally-curved highway bridges. The ultimate aim is to develop a set of seismic design guidelines for this... More Details